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Hormone replacement increases kidney stone risk

Posted by Jeff adams - Tuesday, October 12, 2010

"It doesn't mean that women should stop taking hormone therapy based on this fact, but it does need to be taken into account when deciding to take the hormones or not," Dr. Naim M. Maalouf of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, one of the study's authors, told Reuters Health.

From 5 to 7 percent of postmenopausal women in the U.S. suffer from kidney stones, Maalouf and his colleagues note in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Kidney stones aren't just extremely painful when they are passed out of the bladder; "people who have kidney stones over time tend to have more kidney damage," Maalouf said.

Studies to date of the relationship between hormone therapy and kidney stones have had mixed results. To investigate, Maalouf and his colleagues reviewed data from the Women's Health Initiative, the largest-ever randomized controlled trial of hormone therapy for postmenopausal women.

Their analysis included 10,700 postmenopausal women who had undergone hysterectomy and were randomly assigned to take estrogen or placebo, and another 16,600 who hadn't had hysterectomies and were put on either estrogen and progestin or placebo. Women in the first group were followed for nearly six years, while the women in the second group were followed for seven years.

Women on estrogen or the estrogen-progestin combination were 21 percent more likely to develop kidney stones during the follow-up period, the researchers found. When the researchers limited their analysis to women who didn't quit taking their medication during the study period, kidney stone risk was 39 percent greater with the hormones.

Given a woman's baseline risk for developing kidney stones of 7 percent, the study's results mean that a postmenopausal woman's risk rises when taking hormone therapy to between 8.5 percent and 10 percent.

The process by which kidney stones form is "complex," the researchers note, and has both environmental and genetic roots; there are also several points in this process that could be affected by estrogen, they add.

White women are at greater risk of developing kidney stones than women from other ethnicities, Maalouf noted, while obesity has also been associated with an increased tendency to form kidney stones. Drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent kidney stones, while eating too much salt or too much protein can make them more likely to develop, he added.

Can fitness devices help one achieve his health goal?

Posted by Jeff adams - Monday, October 11, 2010

IF YOU’RE thinking of buying fitness
devices which promise to burn calories and give a toned body, read first the following information.

Slender bottom toner

The claim: The machine can tone and strengthen one’s muscles even without exercising. Just attach the electrodes to your triceps, biceps, buttocks and thighs and the electrodes will help your muscles to contract without moving the body and lifting weights.

The truth: A study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) compares the use of Slender Bottom Toner for 30 minutes, five times per week for six weeks versus three sets of 10 quadruped hip extensions with each leg for six minutes per day, five days a week in six weeks. Study shows that using the machine was as effective as doing the quadruped extension exercise, though there were no significant changes in the subjects’ weight and hip circumference.

The verdict: Will you spend P10,000 for a machine that will strengthen your buttocks or do a six-minute hip extension exercise five days a week anytime, anywhere? This type of machine is used for rehabilitation, to delay atrophy of patients suffering from neuromuscular condition. The result of the study shows one can achieve more with exercise given the same amount of time that one uses a muscle stimulator machine. If you do a 15-minute body weight resistance exercise plus 15 minutes of cardio exercise, you will improve not only your muscular strength and endurance, but burn more calories as well.

Vibration plate machines

The claim: The latest vibration machines can give you an hour of workout just by using it 15 minutes a day. The machine’s oscillating vibrations will work your muscles since it causes a rapid muscle contraction of 30-50 times per second.

The truth: A 2009 study presented at the European Congress on Obesity shows that the use of a vibration plate machine can help overweight and obese people trim significant amounts of abdominal
fat when combined with a calorie-restricted diet.

The study compared four groups for six months. One of the groups did dieting
only. The exercise group did three 60-minute exercises per week, consisting of cycling, running, swimming and strengthening exercises, plus diet.

The vibration and diet groups did an average of 11.9 minutes (30 seconds for each of the 10 exercises) on the vibrating plate machine while doing lunges, calf raises and push-ups in the first three months and progressed to 14.2 (60 seconds for each of the 22 exercises) minutes during the last three months. Results show that the machine can be an alternative for strength training workout but not for an aerobic exercise.

The verdict: This machine, called the “lazy person’s workout,” can cost you almost P75,000. Will you spend that much to say goodbye to a traditional weight training workout? Studies show that it can shorten your 45-60 minute strength training workout to 15 minutes.

There’s no harm in trying new fitness technology, as long as you don’t abandon your complete fitness routine consisting of aerobic exercises like jogging or cycling and flexibility exercise. Any type of physical activity will help you achieve your fitness goals provided you’re consistent with a healthy eating and active lifestyle. Real and lasting results will never be achieved by shortcuts.

Yoga Exercise For Computer Users: Frees Lower Back Pain

Posted by Jeff adams - Friday, October 08, 2010

Twenty percent of all those who go through surgical treatment for lower back ache may get no relief. The rest of the 80 % will have problems ranging from mild to severe. Almost all will have trouble with spinal flexion.

Yoga does not provide cures. It promises that when you faithfully train these asanas every day, gone will be the discomfort and you’ll build up a powerful and flexible backbone, restructuring posture and entire body image. When you have back problems you ought to stay conscious through the day time of the method that you stand, sit and lay down. Here are some rules:

Always sleep on a firm (not necessarily hard) mattress, using a flat pillow under your head and a heavier one below your knees. This will help the spine to reposition and modify itself.

Do not wear high heel pumps as this encourages lumbar lordosis and throws the spine out of equilibrium.

Don’t go in for break-dancing, intense aerobics, jogging, running or anything where you have to bounce or jiggle. Protected activity is the vital thing here.

With regard to low back pain, sitting down is the most painful. Sit on a firm seat, not squashy cushions, and sit on your buttock bones. Don’t loll back again on the tailbone or lower spine. Wedge a rolled towel or small cushion behind your back to make you stay upright. Sit as often as you possibly can in The actual Diamond Posture (Figure 1) so as to benefit the sciatic nerve and also to cure a convex or possibly a lateral curve of the backbone.

If the pain is acute and you can neither sit nor stand in comfort, rest in bed, take whatever anti-inflammatory or analgesic medicines your physician prescribes, and wait until the pain is more gentle before starting on these postures.

All these asanas have healing and curative qualities. They’ll act as a form of mild traction force, lightly extending the spinal muscles in safe extension postures. Durability will be slowly built up in the paraspinal muscle tissue and buttocks, belly organs will become well toned and strengthened, and stress points all along the spinal column will be stimulated. Practice each asana so much that mild ache is felt.

Using Diet and Exercise to Control Body Fat

Posted by Jeff adams - Thursday, October 07, 2010

The food we eat provides the building blocks required for cellular construction as well as all metabolic and chemical reactions which our body performs to function in good health. In the same fashion, our diet and level of physical activity directly influence our hormones that determine if fat is stored or burned as fuel. Medical researchers now understand that where fat is stored in the body can determine risk of disease and how we can alter our diet to promote natural weight loss.

Fat Placement is a Risk Factor

Until recently, medical science has viewed our white fat cells as nothing more than an inert storage facility for extra calories. Research has debunked that theory by demonstrating that our fat is a viable organ within our body which is metabolically active, secreting and reacting to chemical messengers which influence our health and weight loss abilities.

The results of a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that the risk of metabolic disorder is heightened when fat is stored in the abdomen and significantly lowered when fat grows on the thighs or lower parts of the body.

Interestingly the study authors found that abdominal fat grows by increasing the size of existing fat cells whereas fat cells multiply in number on the thighs and lower body. Abdominal fat is more dangerous to your health because the cells are stretched beyond their normal capacity, leading to metabolic dysfunction.

Using Food Balance to Control Fat Placement
Fortunately we can control where fat is placed on the body in several ways. The food we eat has a significant impact on fat storage and metabolism as we can choose both the quantity of food eaten as well as the nutritional composition of our diet. A diet high in refined carbohydrates which quickly break down into glucose and raise blood sugar causes excessive triglycerides in the blood. These blood fats must be cleared quickly after each meal and are converted to fat for storage on the belly.

Gentle yoga classes exercise body and spirit

Posted by Jeff adams - Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Now that two Holy Family Church parishioners have found their calling, it sometimes leads them to unusual teaching positions — like tree pose. Anne Marie Evered and Sandy DeMoy alternate leading gentle yoga sessions two times a week in the home of parishioner Mariloris Oliverio. These classes are open to anyone who wants to stretch his or her health regimen.

“It’s God’s body, and if you don’t take care of your body, you can’t serve,” said DeMoy, sister of Holy Family’s pastor, Father Bob Barricks.

Performed using chairs and other props, the exercises are good for the physical well-being of everyone, but in particular folks recuperating from illness or injury, said the teachers.

Agnes Petrusich has been coming to the classes for 11 years, ever since DeMoy initiated the sessions to help her mother who was recovering from a broken pelvis. What started with DeMoy and her mother in an upstairs room of the Holy Family rectory has evolved into twice weekly classes that often fill the finished basement of Oliverio’s home.

The balance and strength Petrusich has gained from the classes helped her through her own health emergencies: a broken pelvis, and several months ago, a stroke.

Choose the best weight loss program for you, urge health experts

Posted by Jeff adams - Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Health experts promote the right weight loss program for people who want to lose pounds.

Recent studies revealed that not all weight loss programs could be helpful to everyone. The individual must know the details of the program he wants to do. He must also know which would work best for him. It is not a guarantee that if a program worked for a friend, it will work for other person too.

Good body figure is indeed a dream for many people now. Staying in shape is one of the factors that can help people gain extra confidence and boost self-esteem. Even the technology today is very much concerned about removing the unwanted fats in the body.

Nevertheless, it is important that losing weight should not be centered in body shape alone but also in fitness and physical health. The proper way to achieve weight loss is having proper diet and exercise. Taking the short way by using pills and the power of technology is sometimes effective but this will not give the same fitness that proper diet and exercise can offer.

In addition, the use of shortcut methods will only be redundant in process, remember that weight losers need to consider weight loss maintenance. Losing weight does not need to be expensive as long as the person has the determination and dedication to achieve his goal.

Heart-healthy diet doesn't have to be costly

Posted by Jeff adams - Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"Increased spending on nuts, soy and beans, and whole grains, and less spending on red and processed meats and high-fat dairy, may be the bestinvestment for dietary health," Dr. Adam M. Bernstein and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues conclude.

The trick, according to the researchers, is to spend more on plant-based foods.

Several studies suggest that living on junk food can be cheaper than eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the researchers note in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Research from the UK, France, Spain, and the Netherlands has also found that eating a healthy diet costs more. However, there is some evidence that "healthy diets can be obtained at different levels of spending," the authors write.

To compare the relationship between food spending and diet healthfulness, the team assessed diet and spending data for 78,191 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study. They rated the women's eating habits and multivitamin intake according to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), a tool they developed, with points awarded for consuming healthier items.

Those with the healthiest diets, whose average AHEI score was 59, spent about $4.60 per day on food, compared to about $3.70 per day for the women with the least healthy diets, who had an average AHEI score of 30.

For a healthy brain, work it out -- and challenge it mentally and physically

Posted by Jeff adams - Tuesday, September 28, 2010

"They all gobble?" said a 67-year-old man, grinning.

Welcome to The Brain Fitness Club. It's a window into a growing population in America: adults who are beginning to forget names, telephone numbers and how to drive home, but are aware enough to do something about it whether that's playing word-association games or bowling on a Nintendo Wii.

While there's no magic pill for dementia, or even "senior moments," scientists are converging on what makes a brain-healthy lifestyle. And it looks a lot like the Winter Park class and the dozen other brain clubs that have popped up in Central Florida.

"There's no universal prescription that will solve everyone's brain problems," said Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, a brain-fitness think tank. "But the good news is, there is a lot we can do."

Good for your body? Good for your brain

Not too long ago, scientists believed we all start with roughly 3 trillion brain cells that, through careless decisions such as drinking alcohol and playing tackle football, we gradually kill off. Once a brain cell was lost, the brain was one man down, forever.

That's a myth, we now know.

The brain is a tangled web of cells that is constantly rewiring itself, like acrobats unlinking arms and swapping partners. The brain can grow new cells to link into its intricate network, tossing a new gymnast into the act.

Health care costs to rise 12.4 percent in Chicago

Posted by Jeff adams - Monday, September 27, 2010

Chicago workers can expect to pay 12.4 percent more in health insurance premiums and out of pocket costs next year, according to a report from Lincolnshire-based Hewitt Associates.

The average employee cost, including premiums and out-of-pocket costs such as co-pays and co-insurance, will rise to $4,520 from $4,022 last year, the company said. That includes $2,286 in premiums and $2,234 for out-of-pocket costs.

For Chicago employers, the average cost per worker will rise 8.7 percent to $9,791, including employee contributions to premiums. That’s the highest increase since a 9.7 percent rise in 2006. Nationally, costs are expected to rise 8.8 percent next year.

Among factors driving the higher costs, employers are seeing an increase in the amount of charges and frequency of catastrophic claims as slower hiring has left employers with older workforces more prone to costly medical conditions, the human resources consulting and outsourcing company said.

Hewitt also estimates that health care reform requirements that dependents be covered to age 26 and the elimination of certain lifetime and annual limits contributed 1 percent to 2 percent of the increase. Most of the positive effects of the reform law won’t be felt for a few years, according to Ken Sperling, Hewitt’s health care practice leader.

Employers are responding to rising costs with plans to continue passing more of those costs along to workers over the next three to five years. Workers may see employers shifting plan designs from fixed dollar co-payments to co-insurance models, where employees pay a percentage of the out-of-pocket costs for each health care service, Hewitt said. Workers may also see higher deductibles, out-of-pocket-limits and cost sharing for use of non-network providers, Hewitt said.

A fatter future: 3 of 4 Americans to be overweight by 2020, new report warns of health costs

Posted by Jeff adams - Friday, September 24, 2010

Citizens of the world's richest countries are getting fatter and fatter and the United States is leading the charge, an organization of leading economies said Thursday in its first ever obesity forecast.

Three out of four Americans will be overweight or obese by 2020, and disease rates and health care spending will balloon, unless governments, individuals and industry cooperate on a comprehensive strategy to combat the epidemic, the study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said.

The Paris-based organization, which brings together 33 of the world's leading economies, is better known for forecasting deficit and employment levels than for measuring waistlines. But the economic cost of excess weight — in health care, and in lives cut short and resources wasted — is a growing concern for many governments.

Milk does a body good

Posted by Jeff adams - Thursday, September 23, 2010

Got milk?
A new study from Israeli researchers found that dieters who drink a lot of milk lost more weight than people who consumed little to no calcium regardless of the rest of their diet.

Participants lost about 12 pounds at the end of the two-year study. Those who drank the least amount of milk and milk products lost about seven pounds.

More than 300 overweight middle-aged adults participated in a study that evaluated a variety of diets. Vitamin D serum levels were found to increase as participants lost weight.

Vitamin D helps to absorb calcium in the bloodstream, and can be obtained from sunlight, milk, fatty fish, and eggs.

Overweight people tend to have lower levels of Vitamin D, but researchers said this was the first study to show that vitamin increases in the body as people lose weight.

$42. 5 Million Allotted For U.S. Public Health Investments

Posted by Jeff adams - Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Atlanta, GA, United States (AHN) - At least 94 projects totaling $42.5 million have been awarded to state, tribal, local and territorial health departments around the country to improve their ability to provide public health services by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted the funding was made possible through the new Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act.

“These funds will help departments around the country to improve quality and effectiveness of critical health services that millions of Americans rely on every day,” Sebelius said in a statement.

The funds are a down payment on improving public health services across the nation, said Dr. Judith A. Monroe, CDC’s deputy director for state, tribal, local and territorial support.

This new 5-year program dubbed “Strengthening Public Health Infrastructure for Improved Health Outcomes” will provide departments with needed resources to make fundamental changes in their organizations and practice so that they can improve the delivery of public health services.

The plan includes expansion and training of public health staff and community leaders to conduct policy activities in key areas and facilitate improvements in system efficiency. The project also seeks to build a national network of performance improvement managers that share best practices for improving the public health system.

CDC received last July more than 140 applications from departments seeking funds through cooperative agreement following original funding announcement entitled Public Health Systems and Infrastructure Projects.

Obesity Hurts Your Wallet and Your Health

Posted by Jeff adams - Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Researchers are putting a tag on obesity. Doctors have known that medical bills are higher for the obese, but a report from George Washington University finds that's only a portion of the real-life costs.

The researchers added in factors such as employee sick days, lost productivity, even the need for extra gasoline-- and found the annual cost of being obese is $4,879 for a woman and $2,646 for a man.

That's far more than the cost of being merely overweight -- $524 for women and $434 for men.

The study's co-author Christine Ferguson says the difference found between the sexes suggests that larger women earn less than skinnier women, while wages don't differ when men pack on the pounds.

Two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, and childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades.

How to stay fit and healthy?

Posted by david - Monday, August 30, 2010

What do you think is the key to good health? Good eating habits are not enough to bring in good health. It has to be complemented with a regular workout routine. But the sad fact is that most of us don’t realize this and end up making poor lifestyle choices. This leads to a handful of illness and health issues like heart diseases and diabetes. But there are instances where certain health conditions become unavoidable. However you need to make wise choices and do everything to stay fit and healthy.

• A healthy person would surely have a healthy body mass index. There are chances of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers if you become obese or overweight. Hence it becomes necessary to maintain a healthy weight. At fit camps, people are taught to stay healthy with a stable BMI.

• People try to break away from doing workouts putting the blame on time constraints. But you have to overcome the sluggishness and start an exercise routine. Boot camps insist on proper exercise and as the end result weight loss follows. Apart from the weight loss beneficial factor, the cardio workouts contribute to a healthy heart and lungs functioning. The exercise routine should include 30 minutes workouts three times a week.

• Healthy habits make a man fit and fine and it is absolutely a personal choice to remain in good shape. A variety of health conditions can be attributed to smoking and alcohol abuse like lung cancer, liver cirrhosis etc. the golden rule of thumb is to quit smoking and make the alcohol intake in moderate quantities.

• There is a saying that a man is what he eats. This is true as on the whole the health of a person is determined by his eating habits. If you wish to stay fit and healthy, evaluate your eating habits and modify them. High fat foods, fried foods and fast foods are an absolute ‘no-no’. Trade in unhealthy snacks like cookies, potato chips and candy. All this should be replaced by fruits, vegetables, nuts and wheat crackers.

• It has been proved that detoxification is an excellent way to flush out the harmful toxins from the body. You can begin a detoxification program as there are many herbal detox teas are available. Furthermore, water has the immense capability to remove toxins from the body. So make it a point to drink at least eight to ten glasses of water per day.

source:http://www.prlog.org/10851321-how-to-stay-fit-and-healthy.html

Importance of Additional Tips in Weight Loss Programs

Posted by david - Thursday, August 26, 2010

The idea of losing weight differs from one individual to another. Some individuals will start to lose excess of fat by trying their own techniques and workouts, while some will achieve desired results when they have indulge themselves in weight loss programs. A person has to very well decide as with option he / she is willing to go. With the help of dietitians and physicians you can very well design your schedule and work outs.

To lose that excess fat is not an easy task if you are not clear from where you are required to start. Hence for this reason it is wise to get enrolled in weight loss program and get started with the process of losing excess of weight. To take part in such is considered to be one of the most convenient methods of losing excess of fat. As professional trainers are involved in such programs you will be thought various techniques of losing excess of fat.

One has to remember that to lose excess of fat it is not possible only through workouts. Along with workouts we are required to follow some additional tips which will help us to achieve our goal successfully.

Additional tips on which we are asked to concentrate are like:

* to have a watch on our eating habits
* to have a watch on number of hours spend for workouts
* to have a watch on dietary plans so as to confirm we are able to follow or not
* to check whether we are motivated or not throughout the process
* to have a thorough check up with the physician regularly
* to have an eye on the food and drinks that we intake
* to have a watch on number of calories gained and number of calories burnt in a single day
* to have a check on your personal habits
* to check the fat percentage
* to have a check up with dietician and to draw up a good diet plan

For the effective weight loss it is necessary for the individuals to follow the above mentioned tips. If an individual fails to follow any of the above mentioned tips then the results will not turn out to be as satisfactory as it is required to be.

A good weight loss program will teach you how to transform your eating and lifestyle habits gradually and everlastingly. To achieve the desired goals it is necessary for the individuals to make a good judgment while selecting a weight loss program. This is necessary as for the reason that today in market there are many false programs too which is operating for the sake of money. Their main motive is to fool innocent people and then to run away with their money. To get rid of such it is necessary for the individuals to conduct some research and then make a thorough comparison on various programs. Thus it will help individuals to go with the best option.

Shiju Am is a successful webmaster for Weight Loss Programs. She provides information on Boot camp, Weight Loss Programs, 8 Week Total Body Makeover, Effective weight loss and LA Boot Camp on her website.

Exercise can help prevent back pain

Posted by david - Sunday, August 15, 2010

Moderate endurance exercise can help prevent back problems. Exercising the entire body stimulates blood supply and relaxes painful muscle spasms, according to Dieter Breithecker from Germany’s Federal Institute on the Development of Posture and Exercise. Exercise also makes the body more resilient.

People workout at a fitness centre in New Delhi. Exercising the entire body stimulates blood supply and relaxes painful muscle spasms, according to a study. File Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Breithecker recommends sports such as swimming, walking, hiking, cycling or cross-country skiing. Sports that cause repetitive buckling of the spine, on the other hand, should be avoided. Those sports include horse riding, downhill skiing and fast jogging. You should also be careful when engaging in sports that involve fast, repetitive over-extension of the spine such as tennis, badminton, squash and golf.

Breithecker advises consulting with your doctor first to make sure your back is healthy enough to engage in sport. After that it is a matter of finding out whether a certain type of exercise suits you.

source:http://www.thehindu.com/health/fitness/article573870.ece

Thyroid Disease Awareness is Very Low

Posted by david - Sunday, August 08, 2010

One of the most common causes of fatigue and weight gain in women is hypothyroidism; but the awareness of thyroid diseases among women remains very low.

Hypothyroidism is usually manifested in young girls, but these days women are being diagnosed well into their 30s. Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, chronic fatigue, anemia and irregular menstrual periods.

“The occurrence of Hypothyroidism is due to deficiency of iodine or problem with the functioning of the pituitary gland or a problem with the thyroid gland”, said Dr D. C. Sharma, Associate Prof. RNT Medical College Jaipur Rajasthan.

Iodine-enhanced salt is available in order to overcome the deficiency in the diet, but women do not seem to be aware of the importance of this element. As such there is an urgent need to spread awareness of thyroid disorders among women.

source:http://www.medindia.net/news/Thyroid-Disease-Awareness-is-Very-Low-72398-1.htm

Junk food diet puts children at higher risk of allergies

Posted by david - Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village who had diets rich in fibre with another group living in Florence in Italy and found a dramatic difference.

The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria and a greater abundance of fatty acids which protect against inflammation causing asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions.

The diet of the children living in the small village of Boulon in Burkina Faso was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago, shortly after the birth of agriculture.

It consisted mainly of cereals, beans, nuts and vegetables.

But the Italian children ate higher quantities of meat, fat and sugar.

Only those who were still breast-feeding harboured bacteria resembling the African children's - indicating diet may dominate other factors such as ethnicity, sanitation, geography or climate, say the researchers.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human gut are considered an essential 'organ' that helps to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation.

Paediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti, of Florence University, and colleagues said children in industrialised countries who eat low-fibre, high-sugar 'Western' diets may reduce microbial richness - potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.

They said: "Western developed countries successfully controlled infectious diseases during the second half of the last century, by improving sanitation and using antibiotics and vaccines.

"At the same time, a rise in new diseases such as allergic, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both in adults and in children has been observed, and it is hypothesized that improvements in hygiene together with decreased microbial exposure in childhood are considered responsible for this increase.

"The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota."

The researchers, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, added: "The lessons learned from the Burkina Faso children's microbiota prove the importance of sampling and preserving microbial biodiversity from regions where the effects of globalisation on diet are less profound.

"The worldwide diversity of the microbiome from ancient communities, where gastrointestinal infections can make the difference between life and death, represents a goldmine for studies aimed at elucidating the role of gut microbiota on the subtle balance between health and disease and for the development of novel probiotics."

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7922504/Junk-food-diet-puts-children-at-higher-risk-of-allergies.html

Preventing Lead Poisoning from Municipal Water System

Posted by david - Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Today (June 15, 2010), CDC leaders addressed Congress about questions related to CDC's work in 2004 to help prevent lead poisoning from the Washington, D.C. municipal water system.

The CDC protected the public's health by working closely with the Washington, D.C. Department of Health, the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Public Health Service, and other federal and local agencies to help mitigate the problem and prevent additional lead exposures. In our work we determined the health consequences of lead exposures from the contaminated water, and published our findings in the MMWR, reiterating that that there is no safe level of lead exposure, and that all lead exposures in children should be eliminated.

In our urgency to rapidly assess the situation and protect the public's health, the CDC communicated our scientific results poorly and did not convey our conclusions and recommendations clearly. One of CDC's core values is to pursue excellence in the science behind public health. Although we believe in this case that our scientific analysis and conclusions were correct, we did not place our findings into the proper perspective.

For nearly three decades, CDC has spearheaded an effective national lead poisoning prevention campaign that has reduced the prevalence of blood lead levels above 10 µg/dL in children by nearly 90 percent. This is one of our nation's greatest public health success stories.

In Washington, D.C., we have worked to strengthen the city's lead prevention program and ensure that residents are protected. Elevated blood lead levels among the city's children have fallen by half over the past five years and are now lower than the national average and similar to those in other large cities.

CDC is committed to continuing our progress toward childhood lead elimination. The agency will work with partners in the US and internationally to support blood-lead screening for children and testing of water and other sources of potential lead poisoning in homes, workplaces and communities, and implement effective lead-poisoning prevention programs. CDC supports and depends on the work of our scientists and other staff. We are motivated by a desire to protect the public's health and committed to basing our decisions on the best available science and to communicating our results clearly.

Information about CDC's activities related to lead in drinking water in the District of Columbia and prevention tips are posted at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/leadinwater/.

High heels 'shrink calf muscle fibres'

Posted by david - Sunday, July 18, 2010

UK researchers say they have uncovered why women who often wear high heels can find it painful to wear flat shoes.

Scans of the calf muscles in a group of frequent heel wearers found muscle fibres were, on average, 13% shorter than in those who avoided high heels.

The Journal of Experimental Biology study also found high heels led to stiffer tendons in the calf.

Some time spent in flatter footwear as well as stretching exercises would help to combat the effect, experts said.

Anecdotally it has long been said that regularly wearing high heels shortens the calf muscle.

Study leader Professor Marco Narici, from Manchester Metropolitan University, said in the 1950s secretaries who wore high heels complained that they struggled to walk flat-footed when they took their shoes off.

But no-one has looked at what is actually happening in the muscle.

From a group of 80 women, the team selected 11 volunteers who had regularly worn 5cm heels for two years or more and who felt uncomfortable walking flat-footed.

An MRI scan showed that there was no difference in the size of the calf muscles in the heel wearers compared with a group of women who wore flat shoes.

But an ultrasound scan revealed that the muscle fibres were indeed shorter in the women who wore heels.
Stiff calves

When the women were asked to lie on their front on a couch, the researchers noticed that the angle of the heel in the stiletto wearers was greater due to their shortened calf.

In the final part of the study, they found that the high-heel wearers' tendons were much thicker and stiffer than in those who stuck to flat shoes.

This causes discomfort when walking on flat feet because the tendon cannot stretch sufficiently, Professor Narici said.

Yet he does not think women need to give up their high heels.

"Fashion is intended to be uncomfortable and none of the women in the study planned to give up their high heels," he said.

"We want to give practical advice and I would recommend just doing a few stretching exercises to counteract some of these changes."

He said one useful tip was for high heel wearers to stand on tip toes on a step, and using a handrail for balance to lower their heels as far as they can before raising them up again.

Sammy Margo, physiotherapist and spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said the study backed what they suspected.

"The advice we would give is not to wear heels or flat shoes all the time but to wear a variety of heel heights to get the calf muscles working through the greatest range of movement.

"But I can't say we are seeing a higher incidence of calf problems in women who wear high shoes."

Source: http://news.myjoyonline.com/health/201007/49276.asp